BALTIMORE, MD—A Baltimore man pleaded guilty Wednesday to illegally operating a drone over M&T Bank Stadium during an NFL Wild Card game in January, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced.
Alexis Perez Suarez, 43, of Baltimore, admitted to knowingly and willfully violating national defense airspace. Magistrate Judge Charles D. Austin sentenced Suarez to one year of supervised probation, 100 hours of community service and a $500 fine.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations had established a temporary flight restriction (TFR) for M&T Bank Stadium during the January 11 playoff game, designating it a “No Drone Zone.” This restriction prohibits any Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) — including those flown recreationally — within a three-nautical-mile radius of the stadium, starting one hour before the game and lasting until one hour after.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Kelly O. Hayes emphasized the importance of public safety. “Suarez knew that M&T Bank Stadium was under a temporary flight restriction, yet he flew his drone into the airspace anyway, which is unacceptable,” Hayes said in a statement. “There is a zero-tolerance policy for operating Unmanned Aircraft Systems in No Drone Zones.”
Acting Special Agent in Charge Amanda M. Koldjeski of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office added that flying a drone over a major sporting event is “not just irresponsible and reckless, but illegal.”
During the game, NFL Security briefly suspended play due to the incursion of Suarez’s drone. Maryland State Police troopers and FBI special agents tracked the drone and located its landing spot. Although Suarez had left the scene, law enforcement officials identified and traced him to his residence.
Suarez admitted in his plea that the drone was unregistered and that he lacked the required training and licensing, including a remote pilot certificate, to operate a UAS. He also acknowledged flying the drone directly over the stadium despite knowing about the flight restrictions. Court documents indicate Suarez captured approximately seven photos of the stadium with thousands of people below his flight path.
Authorities reiterated that there is a zero-tolerance policy for UAS/drone use within the FAA’s No Drone Zone, and violations can lead to arrest, prosecution, fines and imprisonment.
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